The following is Part Two of an excerpt from Peter Gruenewald’s new book, Mastering Life: Rosicrucian and Magical Techniques for Achieving Your Life’s Goals.

Spiritual symbols are images of hidden spiritual processes, conditions and forces that relate to spiritual beings such as elementary beings, hierarchies of angels or even the being of Christ. When we connect with these symbols through meditation, we effectively open ourselves and merge with those spiritual forces associated with these spiritual beings.

Ultimately, we learn to master these forces in collaboration with those spiritual beings, first within and then around us.
The forces behind these symbols and mantras must be applied in such a way that we realize them within us during the meditation – that we absorb them into our being. Spiritual symbols and mantras are suitable meditation objects that, through sufficient practice, can open the soul to its own spiritual perceptions – but also to the wilful mastery of those forces that are represented, helping us to manifest our true and loving intentions more speedily and in effective collaboration with others.

It is important that the symbols and mantras are so easily manageable that their complete structure can be spanned by one’s waking consciousness at any time. It is also important to contemplate the meaning of these symbols and mantras prior to using them in meditation. We need to understand them fully, to feel and love their meaning, and to want to connect with the spiritual reality they relate to, purposefully and willfully. This should be a continuous process, making the symbols more alive and impactful within our meditation.

The meaning of the symbols and mantras, i.e., the spiritual reality to which they refer, are also multidimensional and ultimately inexhaustible, and their meaning and power can only gradually be revealed and mastered by our knowledge and will through continuous meditation. If we wish to, we can aspire to manifest truth, beauty and goodness within our professional work, allowing it to support the development of our fellow human beings and humanity towards extended consciousness and empowerment, and ultimately towards freedom and love.

We may align our life’s purpose and goals with the ascending forces of humanity. We should be ambitious, striving to achieve our goals, gaining power and influence – but this power and influence should be inspired by wisdom, goodness and beauty, serving the development of love and wisdom. These are the only harmonic goals we should aspire to when using symbol and mantra meditation to manifest for practical, magical purposes. Power without wisdom and love turns into violence; wisdom without love and power turns into intellectualism; love without wisdom and power turns into deluded fanaticism.

Let’s now look at the symbol that will be introduced in this book, beginning with the Tau cross and Sun.
The Tau cross is an ancient symbol that played a major role in the practice of spiritual mastery in Atlantis (Tao), in Egypt (ankh) and during the building of the Solomonic temple through Hiram Abif (Hiram’s hammer). It is built from two parts: a vertical and a horizontal bar. The lower, vertical bar stands for the principal of power, and the horizontal bar for the principle of love.

In the Temple Legend (see Chapter 11), master builder Hiram receives wisdom from Solomon for the building of the Solomonic temple. Hiram has the love, power and craftsmanship to build the temple and thereby brings Solomon’s ideas and plans into physical existence. With the help of the mythical Tau cross (hammer) he collects the workmen around him to complete the building of the temple and uses the hammer to complete the creation of the brazen sea, a symbol for the harmony of fire (power) and water (wisdom).

In the Egyptian ankh – the Tau cross with a loop – the loop represents the developed pineal gland, the so called ‘third eye’, the eye of Horus – a spiritual organ that is localized behind the point between the eyebrows, in the center of the brain. The Egyptian mysteries defined the ankh as the ‘key of life’, and meditating on the Tau or ankh can train us to master the forces of life within and around us. The Tau cross as a spiritual symbol represents the development of freedom, love and success.

Imagining in our meditation the Tau cross below and the sun in our pineal gland and heart, calls up for the forces that help us to develop freedom, love and power over ourselves, as well as the power to achieve (gain mastery over) our individual goals, in harmony with the goal of the ascending development of humanity and earth (harmonic goals). In the Temple Legend, Hiram receives the golden hammer (Tau cross) and the golden triangle, in order to aid the development of humanity. His initiation into freedom, love and mastery enables Hiram to return as Christian Rosenkreuz, the leading spiritual master and teacher within Western Christian spirituality.

The Tau can be used as a meditation symbol that can help manifest our goals faster than would happen under normal conditions, allowing for acceleration of spiritual and personal development. We will give practical instructions as to how to widen egotism into altruism and to learn to co-create, effectively and speedily, our individual future and the future of others. This is done by aligning our thoughts, feelings, and intentions with the symbols and mantras of this meditation.

As a preparation for this process, we should work on self-mastery in daily life by practicing self-exploration and self-improvement, as well as active listening and mindful observation of nature. The techniques described here can help to profoundly strengthen our ‘I’ (or higher ego) and to develop our ability to align and harmonize thinking, feeling and will. They can also enhance our power of imagination and the strength of our will, contributing to a purification of our inner self and the development of enlightenment and love. The mental and spiritual training given through these techniques, and the contemplation of symbols and life goals, should always be practiced alongside regular meditation to avoid complications.

For more information about online workshops on Deep Trance Meditation, Deep Relaxation Training and Self- Hypnosis for physical and emotional health, spiritual development, and personal transformation please visit Peter’s website: www.mastering-life.com.

See also the video interview with Peter, “How to develop adaptive resilience and build your leadership skills.”

Dr. Peter Gruenewald, MD is an internationally recognized expert in the field of adaptive resilience, stress, and performance. Peter works as an Honorary Clinical Specialist in Sleep Medicine and General Medicine for the University College London Hospital (Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine) and in private practice (London). He is an Associate Fellow at Said Business School, Oxford University, where he conducts Adaptive Leadership Resilience workshops for senior civil servants and major project leaders of the Cabinet Office. He also provides workshops and trainings for senior civil servants and lawyers at the United Nations. Over many years he has practiced meditation and has followed the spiritual and highly practical methodology of ‘Anthroposophy‘ and the ‘Philosophy of Freedom”  as founded by Rudolf Steiner. 

Peter is the author of the books:
Mastering Life. Rosicrucian and Magical Techniques to Achieve your Life’s Goals. (Clairview Publishing 2022)  Amazon UK  US
Manifesting your Best Future Self (Building Adaptive Resilience, 2020) Amazon UK  US
The Quiet Heart: Putting Stress into Its Place (Floris Books 2007) Amazon UK  US